Empire
by Simply A Fangirl
Summary: After his testimony in court Harris decides to fix his family and get Ann back. But will she listen to what he has to say and give him a second chance? Set between 2x05 and 2x06 and afterwards. This is a Christmas present for Daisy, love ya twin xxx


**Hello everyone, it's been a while since I've wrote for Ann and Harris so please forgive me if I'm a bit rusty but I'm going to try and do them justice. This fic is dedicated to and is a Christmas present for my twin Daisy, Happy Christmas twin and I hope you enjoy it, love ya. I do not own any rights to Dallas or its characters; they rightfully belong to David Jacobs. All I have left to say is sit back, relax and enjoy reading.**

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><p>Harris Ryland sat in the back of the chauffeur driven Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid, staring aimlessly out of the tinted, black windows as vehicles passed by them on the highway. His thoughts, however, were focused solely on the woman he'd never stopped loving but who he'd let slip foolishly through his fingers, the same woman whose life he'd made hell when he'd never wanted to, Ann. The guilt he felt at what he had said in court was tearing him apart inside, and it was all he could do to stare out of the window, to keep his emotions intact. He knew full well that if he turned his attention to his mother who had been glancing at him every few minutes with that pleased smirk on her thin lips that he would jump into the front passenger seat and throttle the life out of her. Then there was Emma, sat on the other side, quietly looking out of the window, her face that emotionless mask that his mother had made her hone so well. Suddenly and for one bittersweet moment she let the mask down and his heart constricted as his sweet daughter touched his hand that rested on his knee, squeezing gently, almost reassuring him that things would get better. He wondered what she'd think of him if she knew the truth, which contrary to what she had been brain washed to believe her mother wasn't in fact the monster, but her own father.<p>

_She needs to know. _

Harris closed his eyes for the remainder of the journey back to that isolated mansion on the hill they called home. But the truth was it hadn't felt like home to him since the day Ann left. His Annie, the person who had become his salvation before he'd destroyed her soul, and made her hate him. Now the house was empty and cold, void of anything like him, a husk of who he'd used to be.

_You shouldn't have listened to your mother, you were a fool to let her go, to not fight for her and you know it._

His conscience was right and now he was paying the price, hounded with the guilt of his actions even as he replayed what he had said earlier that day in the court over in his mind.

_He had sat in the witness box swearing that his testimony would be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. That was the moment he had first faltered because he knew it wouldn't be, not fully. Then he was asked about how their altercation leading up to him being shot had come about, he had begun to answer when he was stopped and the question rephrased to what the crux of Ann's resentment was towards him. He had seen her out of the corner of his eye, sat waiting, a mixture of emotion on her face. It had been then that he wanted to apologise, to tell her how he was truly sorry for everything he'd done and what he'd put her through, but he hadn't. Instead he'd answered the question, "I fell head over heels for a willowy, young woman that I tried to save. I gave her the moon and the stars hoping she'd settle down but the truth was…" He had paused then, feeling his throat constrict from the emotion he'd felt at what he'd said. _

_He had saved her the day they met in that bar at the Omni twenty four years ago but in truth she had been the one who had saved him. She had shown him how happy he could be, what love truly was and he knew that he could never thank her for opening his eyes, not now. The guilt ate away at him as he had glanced over at her, a look of sadness on her face yet her eyes for a brief moment had shown understanding until he had looked away, no longer able to face her. His gaze had then fell upon their little girl and he wanted to tell the whole room the truth at that moment, that Ann was a good mother, that it was his fault and not hers, that he had made her the damaged woman she was because he had believed his mother when what he should have done was ignore her poisonous lies and believed his wife, then they could have lived a happy life just him, Ann and their baby. His hopes had been dashed however when he had felt Judith's steely gaze upon him and he had gone into autopilot lying when every part of his body was screaming at him not to say the words but he did, "the truth was she just wasn't ready to be a mother."_

He felt the tears fall down his cheeks, letting them until he realised the car had stopped moving. His emotional breakdown had thankfully only been witnessed by Emma, curiousity and concern alight in her eyes. Judith was outside with the chauffeur as he retrieved Harris' wheel chair which he despised.

"Daddy, what's wrong?" Emma asked, quietly. She placed her hand over his and rubbed a calming circle with her thumb on the back of his hand. Meeting her emerald, green gaze he almost choked at how much like her mother she truly was especially with those eyes that could tell when something was wrong. He knew then that things had to change, she had to know the truth and he had to put things right.

"Nothing, honey, but I need you to do two things for me," he replied, wiping his eyes.

"Ok…" she said, her voice filled with uncertainty because of his change in demeanour and the gentleness in his voice that she could only recall the few times when as a child Judith hadn't been around and before she'd been coaxed into going on that medication.

"Well first when we go inside I need you to go straight to your room because I need to have a talk with your grandmother then I will speak to you alone because there are things I need to tell you. Second, all the medication that you're on, put it in the garbage."

"But, daddy… why…"

"Because my sweet girl, I will not allow your life to be ruined, for you to be controlled and manipulated the way your mother was. You're a grown woman, it's time you made your own choices and if that means you want to move out after what I tell you then I understand. But, Emma, you need to know I never intended for this to happen, your grandmother is the cause for everything that has happened over the years and I her puppet in chains doing what she wanted for all these years but no longer it ends today. Now will you go to your room and wait for me?"

In everything he had said, Emma picked up the resentment and anger in her father's voice for her grandmother and yet love and protection for her, his daughter. He was trying to do the right thing now and although she didn't understand just yet, she had a sudden wave of relief wash over her knowing that whatever it was she trusted him.

She nodded, a gentle smile on her face as she replied, "I will, daddy."

They both left the vehicle, Harris was helped into his wheelchair while Emma walked to his side and squeezed his hand tenderly, the small gesture was not noticed by Judith who was already walking up the steps to the porch as Harris was wheeled up the ramp, and through the open door.

Once they were all inside, the chauffeur left and Emma feigned a yawn. "I hope you don't mind but I'm going to go to my room, I'm tired."

"That's alright sweetheart, I'm sure you must be emotionally drained from hearing all those horrible details of your mother in court," Judith remarked snidely and Harris glared at her.

Emma just nodded and went upstairs without a backwards glance, leaving her father and grandmother alone.

Harris watched his daughter go, once she was out of sight and with a faint smile on his face he stood up from the wheelchair and disconnected the tubes and bag from his waist, throwing it into the chair. He didn't need nor want the pain relief now.

Judith watched wide eyed at his actions while he in turn glared at her before stalking into the living room with her following behind.

"Harris Michael Ryland, what the hell are you doing? You need that pain relief."

Harris chuckled, a dark chuckle full of anger and malice which were coursing through his veins as he stood by the liquor cabinet and poured himself a glass of whiskey from the decanter. He could feel her eyes bore holes into him from behind as he replied nonchalantly, "I don't need the pain relief, Judith. I'm perfectly fine." He turned then, his dark hazel brown eyes flashing dangerously at her as he took a sip of the whiskey. He welcomed the way it trickled down his throat, burning a path to his stomach where it settled as he walked over to the fireplace, his fingers tapping on the mantelpiece.

Judith was worried, something was wrong she knew that, they should have been celebrating their victory at having that disgusting wretch of a woman locked up but all she felt was the pure anger and hatred flooding off of her son towards her almost like a heavy rain, before an oncoming storm. A storm which she was not prepared for in the slightest.

The way he tapped his fingers on the mantelpiece in time with the ticking of the clock above on the wall both unnerved and annoyed her but she didn't ask him to stop, instead she sat in the black leather chair, waiting silently.

After what seemed an age of deathly silence when it had in fact only been a few minutes and not being able to take it anymore Judith finally broke the silence making Harris pause from taking another long sip of his whiskey as he watched and listened to what she had to say.

"I thought you would be pleased my precious prince, that good for nothing bitch will be behind bars for good, you just about bolted her cell door shut for her with your testimony today."

The devilish grin played on her lips but it fell the moment he snapped, shouting angrily at her, "Pleased… you think I'm fucking pleased? No, I'm not, Judith. This is what you wanted, not me! I deserved that god damn bullet, hell she should have killed me if only she'd raised the gun a little higher, and it's what I deserve for what I put her through because of you, I did everything you ever asked me to do because it was what you wanted when what I should have done was said no. I should have dropped those fucking charges but no, you pushed me didn't you? And all because you wanted to see her suffer and squirm in court knowing full well what it would do to me, it made me want to go blind just so I didn't have to see the pain Annie had to relive. But then to top it off you made me lie in court, YOU EVIL, VINDICTIVE BITCH! When the truth was she was a good mother, she loved that precious little girl… our daughter with all her heart but you had to destroy the one thing other than Emma that I truly loved that I would die for in a heartbeat… Ann. You fed me all those bullshit lies about how she was being unfaithful and like an idiot I believed you when deep down I knew she'd never cheat on me because she loved me, because she and Emma were my SALVATION from this controlled life I lived under you, but I listened to your poisonous tongue when I shouldn't have."

"Harris, you need to calm down, I know you're upset from having to relive what she put you through but it'll be ok, we can move on, just you, me and Emma. What's done is done now and you don't have to worry about that woman anymore. It's just the three of us like we planned," Judith said, sweetly, trying to calm him down because he was beginning to frighten her although she'd never admit it outright because if she did she would show weakness and she could never do that in front of her son. Weakness was power and if he saw her weakness she would fail to be the dominant figure in the family, because he would take that role and she couldn't have that.

Harris glared daggers at her as he shook his head and snarled, "No! It's what you planned because you can't face being alone with no family to control. No, Emma will know the truth and I will fix this mess I made by listening to you. You tore my family apart 21 years ago."

Judith visibly paled and seemed to age ten years at the realisation her happy family was crumbling into disarray, she hadn't planned for this. "You wouldn't turn Emma against me… I'm her mother! I've been her mother for 21 years!"

"You deluded, incestuous old bitch, you are not her mother, her mother never got the chance to see her take her first steps, utter her first words, see her grow up but by god I'll make sure she sees her as much as she can now, I'll mend my family."

"I'm your family, Harris. I did everything for you." She said, pleading in the losing battle.

"For me? Oh, no Judith, you did it for yourself. You made me heel to your every fucking command, I'm not your puppet in chains any longer. Emma deserves a life free of control with both of her parents who love her and I'm going to make sure she has it," Harris snarled, unleashing all the anger and animosity he'd held at bay for Judith for so long out finally, it was like a lead weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

"Don't do this, Harris, I'll take the company from you," she said, weakly. It was a threat and the only one she had right now at her disposal however poor it was but he just laughed.

"That won't do much good, you see half of the company is in my name and a quarter of my shares are now in Emma's so unfortunately you can't threaten me as you have no leverage, and even if you could I don't care, my main priority right now is my daughter," he said matter-of-factly before draining his glass dry of whiskey and slamming it down on the table. Looking at Judith one last time, he sneered at the almost frail shell she had become at his words, before opening the door to leave.

"Don't you dare walk away from your mother, Harris. We are not finished!" Judith exclaimed, her voice breaking.

Turning to face her, Harris replied, "Actually, Judith, we are finished and my mother died a long time ago, the woman I see in front of me is nothing to me or my daughter." He left the room shutting the door behind him and as he walked down the hall he heard Judith's piercing wail reverberate off the walls almost as if she had been stabbed which in a matter of speaking she had from his words that had sliced at her body and her heart like a long, sharp edged carving knife. The anguished wail soon turned into loud sobs as Judith Brown Ryland broke down in the black, leather chair alone, abandoned and disgraced.

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><p>Emma had stayed quiet throughout the time she spent in her room, although hearing the raised voices downstairs had unsettled her somewhat. Deciding to distract herself she put some music on to drown out the voices and began to throw her medication in a disposable black bag. Once that was complete she sat on her bed her head nestled against the pillows as she listened to the music and thinking carefully over what her father had told her in the car. If anything she was curious and yet also anxious for their talk but she was also concerned about him. Seeing her father shed tears so freely in the car had broken her heart and there had been only one time in the past that she could remember clearly when she had seen him cry.<p>

_She'd been six years old at the time when they had been living in London and she had woken up during the night to the sounds of heart wrenching sobs coming from her father's room. Being young and curious she had padded out of her room bare foot and across the landing to his door to see why he was crying. Seeing that the door was ajar she had slipped inside to find her father sat at his desk by the window, the moonlight streaming in to illuminate his face as he looked forlornly at a photo frame. _

_Her quiet voice had broken him from his thoughts as she asked, "Daddy, why are you crying?" She was sad that he was upset wanting to comfort him, yet she didn't understand why he was crying at the photograph he had been looking at. _

_Turning in his chair, Harris had seen his young daughter watching him with her eyes full of worry and confusion and his heart had constricted tightly at the sight. Putting the photo on his desk, he turned back to his daughter and opened his arms for her. "Come here, little girl," he said, his voice filled with emotion._

_She had gone to him and he'd lifted her with ease onto his lap, watching as she glanced for a few moments at the photo frame laid on the desk, the picture was of a woman with short brown hair looking lovingly down at the baby in her arms. _

"_Is that me, daddy?" _

"_Yes, baby girl, it is with your mamma."_

"_When can I see her?" She had so many questions for one so young and even then Harris knew that sooner or later he would tell her the truth, he owed it to her._

"_When you're older, Emma, I promise. But whatever happens just remember she always loves you very much even now."_

"_Ok, daddy, I love you and mamma too." It had broken his heart to hear those words and he'd wished at that moment that he could take her back to Dallas, explain everything to Ann and be a family again but he couldn't. All he could do was make sure that Emma knew deep down in her heart that her mother loved her. He let the tears fall and she'd hugged him, her small hands around his neck and her head resting under his chin. "Please don't cry, daddy, please." _

"_I'm sorry, my baby girl, god I'm so sorry."_

Emma remembered hugging him until she had fallen asleep; he'd carried her to back to her room and tucked her in. She had thought that at that age he'd been sorry for crying but now the realisation dawned on her that it had actually been about her mom. At that moment she felt truly sorry for her father and whatever he'd done in the past she knew deep down that he'd never meant it, that it was not his choice or his fault.

Almost as if he'd known that she'd been thinking about him there was a knock on the door and his usually deep voice which was rather quiet she noted spoke, "Emma, honey, can I come in?"

"Yes, daddy," she said, getting off the bed to turn the music off just as he entered the room. She saw the pain in his eyes but behind that there was a bit of peace there too. She crossed the room and hugged him without saying anything but words were not needed in that moment because of the silent understanding between them. When they broke apart they sat beside each other on the edge of the bed.

"Now before I tell you the truth, you need to know that I will always love you even if you hate me, Emma."

"I know, daddy, but why don't you let me decide that?" Emma asked, her eyes searching his, seeing the deep regret there while she stroked his hand out of comfort.

Taking a shaky breath Harris nodded and began to explain while fighting to control the emotion in his voice, "What your mother said today in court was the truth… every last word. Your gran… Judith controlled my every move a long time ago but when I met your mother I felt free from the control, I could be the man I truly was, the man your mother fell in love with."

Emma was silent as she let the information sink in, if anything she didn't hate her father but she did feel sorry for him. "Can I ask how you met… Ann… I mean my mom?"

Harris' eyes lit up when she said that single word. He'd longed for her to say it and was glad that now she could. "Of course… it was well… fate that I intervened when I did that day. I was in the bar at the Omni with some friends I hadn't seen since college when I saw this couple in the restaurant; the woman… your mother was stunning. I'd never seen a more beautiful sight but she seemed like she wanted to be anywhere but there at that table with him. Her boyfriend, the bastard was leering at any woman that walked past. After a while your mother threw the glass of wine in his face and got up after she'd seen him flirting with another woman at the bar. She stormed off, hell, she had every right to and I admired her then but there was an evil glint in this guy's eye and I didn't trust him. I decided to go after them to make sure she was alright and followed them up to the fifth floor. Just as I exited the elevator I saw them down the hall, he'd slapped her hard and had her pinned against the wall while she cried, asking him to let her go. He said no not before he'd had what he wanted and started groping her and trying to force himself on her. She slapped him and pushed him off of her but he pinned her back to the wall and was about to hit her again when I pulled him off her and punched him knocking him to the floor. I warned him to stay away from her or he wouldn't have the use of his hands never mind his… anyway once he'd gone she thanked me and I asked her name and if she was alright. She said yes and I took her home."

"You saved her?"

"Yes, I did but, Emma, she saved me too. Your mother was a vibrant, free spirit and I loved her so much…" Harris said, a forlorn look on his face as he continued, "We were happy for two and a half years then a few months after you were one everything fell apart because of Judith putting poison into my head which I believed because I was a stupid fool. She demanded that I take you away from Ann and I did. It was the worst thing I ever did; kidnapping you and making Annie believe for all those years that you were dead. I should have never listened to Judith in the first place, maybe then things would have been different and me, your mother and you would have been a family. I'm so, so sorry, my sweet girl." The tears fell then while his shoulders shook as he cried into his hands and Emma saw how much of a broken and defeated man her father was.

"It's alright, daddy, it wasn't your fault. It's Judith's; you just did what you were told to do because she controlled you. I can't hate you; I hate her for what she has done."

"Oh, my precious girl," he murmured between sobs as they hugged.

Once he had stopped crying Emma said, "You still love mom don't you?"

Harris looked at his daughter and nodded, not that admitting it was worth anything but he had to say it to unburden himself. "I do and I always will, I've loved your mother for twenty five years, even when she broke my heart the day she left but I live with the regret of not fighting for her and remembering the way she looked at me the day she walked out of my life for good, it was the worst day of my life. Now every time I look at you, I see her and I see a tiny shard of hope that I hold onto even now even when I know it's pointless."

Emma saw how broken hearted her father was over losing her mother and she wished that she could help him somehow. The only idea she had was a long shot and may not work by any means but regardless it was still worth a try wasn't it? If Ann saw that Harris had changed then they'd get back together wouldn't they? Emma knew her mother was her father's only love and she knew that if two people were meant to be together they had to fight for it.

"Then why don't you go and see her, daddy? Talk to her, tell her what you've just told me and that you're sorry?"

Harris sighed and rubbed his neck, a habit he had when he was nervous or worried which he hadn't yet seemed to break. Looking at his daughter he saw how innocent she was and yet naïve in issues such as this but that was his fault. He shook his head as he replied, "It's not that simple, honey, not after what has happened. She won't want anything to do with me and honestly I don't blame her." He turned away, knowing this particular topic in conversation was finished and he wanted to change it desperately but his daughter wasn't about to give up.

"Then if that's true why didn't she kill you? You heard what was said in court by Doctor LaFonte she only had to aim a centimetre higher and you would have died, but she didn't. Now to me that's a sign that maybe just maybe deep down she still has feelings for you that she's guarding, and when she shot you that was the anger she felt for everything that had happened."

Harris looked at his daughter, astounded at the fire and determination in her eyes and voice, she just wouldn't give up.

_Like her mother._

"Perhaps you're right, Emma, I wouldn't bet on it though. In all honesty I think she just wanted to make an example, to make me suffer the way I made her suffer and she clearly did. I can't take back what I did as much as I want to I know it's too late."

Emma squeezed his hand gently as she said, "Look, I know now it was never your choice for what happened in the past, you were controlled and manipulated by Judith. But do you know what I know? I know that everyone deserves a second chance, even you, so if you love mom, truly love her you should fight for her. Don't let the demons in your past ruin your future."

Harris looked at his daughter and felt the burden of his guilt that he'd held for so long slowly lift, almost as if he could finally breathe again. "You have her determination and my stubbornness," he chuckled lightly and Emma smiled happily hearing her father's deep laugh that rumbled up from his chest.

"I'm going to see her before the hearing next week so if you want I can give her a message."

"Ok, just tell her that if she wants to talk to meet me at our cabin I'll wait there."

"Alright, daddy," Emma answered then paused for a moment before asking, "Do we still have to live here?"

Harris saw the sudden uncertainty in his daughter's eyes; he knew she felt the way he did, suffocated inside the house. He shook his head. "No. We'll go to the town house in the city; this isn't our home not any more. We'll be able to have a fresh start there."

Emma nodded, agreeing. They hugged once more, the bond between father and daughter secure.

"Thank you, my sweet girl, thank you," Harris whispered gently, strength flooding through his body at what was going to hopefully happen. He'd tell Ann the truth and hope that she'd come back to him.

_I have this second chance now, I won't waste it._

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><p>A week passed and it was finally the day of the hearing that would decide Ann's fate. She couldn't lie and say she wasn't scared because she was, but throughout the trial she'd told the truth even though bringing up the past had ripped at her soul, opening the old wounds she'd believed were healed since she'd been with Bobby. He'd been her anchor for seven years, he'd shown her what happiness was, what love which was something she had forgotten existed was and yet seeing Harris had brought back all the old feelings that she'd pushed down and locked away, replacing them with unadulterated hatred for him and what he'd done to her. She had stupidly thought at one point during the trial during his testimony when he became emotional that he'd unburden how he truly felt, that perhaps the man she'd known and loved would break through but instead his cold, heartless mask remained intact and he'd hurt her with his words.<p>

But now, now she had to focus on Emma and hope that they could at least build some form of bridge towards having the mother/daughter relationship that had been stolen from them both if that was what Emma wanted too and she hoped it was. Ann hadn't thought while sitting in the small visiting room that her daughter would come to see her so she was surprised when she entered and sat down opposite her smiling gently.

"Emma… I didn't think you'd come… I'm glad you have though… does your father know where you are?" Ann said, concern in her voice, knowing that Harris would not be happy and she was frightened for her daughter to how he would react if he knew.

Emma nodded looking at her mother and seeing the concern in her eyes which was so clear for her that she inwardly sighed.

_If only she could believe what I'm going to tell her._

"Yes, he does… and before you say it I believed everything you said… I know it's the truth because daddy told me it was and he also told me his side of what happened."

"Emma, whatever he said about me…"

Emma shook her head. "No… it wasn't like that, he told me he lost you and that he's regretted it for so long. He said that the worst day of his life was the day you walked out and that he has regretted his actions every day since. He's changed."

Ann couldn't believe what she was hearing, it was lies… it had to be. In shock she pushed her chair back and slowly stood while with her voice shaking slightly she said, "No… he's lying, Emma, he wouldn't…"

"Mom, it's the truth," Emma replied, looking at her mother, trying to make her see sense before it was too late.

Ann stopped and tears glistened in her eyes the moment that Emma called her mom, it had been something she'd longed to hear and she was overwhelmed with emotion. She sat back down slowly, never taking her eyes off of her daughter.

Knowing she had gotten through to her Emma continued, "I believe him, the way he looked telling me the truth… Mom, he was so broken and vulnerable, I saw that side to him once when I was six. I'd seen him crying looking at a picture of me as a baby in your arms. He's never gotten rid of that photo, that's how I know what he told me was the truth because of his unconditional love for us both and the guilt he holds for losing you. He… he told me to tell you that if you want to talk he'll be at the cabin after the hearing. It's your choice… Anyway I should go…" Emma stood up and went to the door as the guard came to get Ann. As Ann stood up, a whole mix of emotions flooded through her as she looked at Emma.

"Thank you, honey, for coming to see me and for telling me… well you know…"

Emma just smiled then left, hoping that everything would turn out alright.

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><p>In the courtroom Ann was conflicted with how she felt after what she had been told by her daughter and yet, seeing Harris sat watching her as they waited for the judge to make his verdict made her whole body go warm for just a moment. She met his gaze fleetingly; scared to look for too long but just for that split second she saw regret and sadness in his eyes.<p>

When the judge began to speak Ann kept her gaze solely on him, even as she could feel a pair of dark, hazel brown eyes glance at her every few minutes.

"Now, after hearing all the facts and the testimonies I think it is clear, Mr Ryland, that you were never the victim." The judge spoke gruffly, staring at Harris who nodded and glanced over at Ann a sad smile on his face as he replied.

"No, your right your honour I wasn't, but she was, I know that."

Ann was shocked hearing the words out of his mouth as he agreed but was brought back to reality the moment the judge released her on bail. She glanced back after speaking to Lou to see Harris and Emma leaving, yet a part of her remained unsure over the new knowledge she held after what Harris had said. Pushing it aside for now and not wanting to mull over it further all she wanted was to go home to Bobby and the family.

Later that evening, after celebrating her release with the family, Ann had sat in the kitchen pondering what she should do about the cabin. She knew that she had two choices; she could either go and finally get some answers from the man she had hated for so long and have a better understanding enough so to put things behind her and move on with her life… with Bobby, even if she knew that might take some time due to the strain the trial had put on their marriage with her past coming into light which she had never told him about because she was ashamed and scared of how he would have reacted. But remembering the look on his face during the trial she knew that he would have understood. The other choice was to not go to the cabin and wonder for the rest of her life, never being able to truly be happy. Knowing then what she needed to do she walked into the hallway and put her jacket and boots on before walking to the study and knocking on the door. When she entered she found Bobby and J.R. sat talking and each enjoying a glass of bourbon. They turned at her entrance, both smiling.

"Bobby, I'm just going to see an old friend, they heard about the trial and wanted to know how things went. I'll be back in the morning."

"Alright, honey." Bobby said, not questioning her further, not wanting to after everything that had happened, and yet he couldn't deny the distance that was still there between them and he felt partly to blame. He couldn't shake the feeling that she was hiding something else from him but then maybe he was just overthinking too much.

After leaving the study, Ann let out a short sigh of relief even though she'd lied to him; she knew it had been the only way. Once she was out the front door she walked to her car, the gravel crunching beneath her boots. She unlocked and got into her Chevrolet Tahoe, driving out of Southfork and onto the highway.

The sky had darkened by the time she turned off the highway and into Great Trinity Forest which was situated on the outskirts of Downtown Dallas. She followed the dirt road until she saw the rustic cabin unchanged after all these years. Seeing the smoke rise from the small chimney, she couldn't stop her heart from skipping a beat at knowing that Harris was inside waiting for her. She parked her car beside his Lamborghini before taking a deep breath and stepping out, closing and locking the car behind her. The gentle wind brushed against her as she walked up the steps to the door, after a few minutes she finally plucked up the courage and knocked. She was ready to face Harris one last time before she could move on with her life.

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